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Dilbert – camping opportunity?
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hiking Picos de Europa, Spain – day 5
Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Kraig Adams video
Trip Report – Picos de Europa Circuit – by site editor Rick McCharles
By morning I had no water. Looking up, my prospects for H2O did not look good.
Though my guidebook said I could find water in two places in the next few hours, I was not confident. This late in the season I might need to climb up high enough to melt snow.
I passed one trickle. Then – finally – saw a sign that I might find a spring.
Before I found the man-made spigot, I was approached by an exhausted looking Spanish mountain climber. He and his partner had gotten lost the previous day near the summit. And were forced to bivouac overnight. They had just gotten back to their tent.
He showed me the water source (about 1hr to fill a 1 litre bottle) and gave me detailed advice on how not to get lost on the next section.
Very quickly I was lost. His advice was all wrong.
Having climbed far too high, I arrived at another of the mountaineering base camps. Instead of retreating, however, I waited for a climber who was descending rapidly from the summit.
It was Constant, an adventurer from France. He was just as lost as I, … but had a vague idea of how to exit the base camp. And a wonderfully relaxed world view. His topo map did us no good at all. You need a topo and a GPS in these mountains.
I followed him directly to “civilization”.
Because of the water supply, I decided to camp (for once) close to the Vegarredonada refugio.
Here’s the bizarre old refugio, no longer used.
Everyone takes an obligatory 7.5km side trip to the old, old refugio at Mirador de Ordiales, guarded by this calf when I visited.
Here is Pedro Pidal’s (1870-1933) final resting place. He founded this, the first National Park in Spain and was named Commissioner General of National Parks.
…. Eight years after his death, his final wish – to be buried at this natural balcony – was fullfilled at last. Engraved in a nearlby rock are words he wrote:
Lover of the Picos, I would love to live, die and eternally rest here in Ordiales. In the enchanted kingdom of the chamois and the eagles.
I left a Summit Stone with Pedro, placing it carefully between the stones close to the ground.
Somehow Pedro grabbed it from my fingers, pulling it deep into a crack. I guess he wants to keep it for himself.
My view of the famous vista was obscured. Again. By cloud.
My last night in the wonderful Picos de Europa.
I was truly sorry to leave these mountains. This is a brilliant hike, one of the very best in the world.
See the rest of my photos from day 5.
The best guidebook in English is sketchy, at best, Lonely Planet Walking in Spain.
Leave a comment if you have any specific questions about this adventure.
hiking Picos de Europa, Spain – day 4
Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Kraig Adams video
Trip Report – Picos de Europa Circuit – by site editor Rick McCharles
Here I am, elated to have tented rather than staying under roof at the Collado Jermoso refugio.
It’s a long, slow, pretty 1200m (3937ft) descent. Check out the wall looking back up from the valley.
My 4km return detour along the river to the town of Posada de Valdeon was well worth the time.
I resupplied at the bakery and two grocery stores.
I took time, too, to visit the Mirador del Tombo.
more interesting photos of this monument
Ascending back into the trees, I was shocked to see the leaves changing. This was the first time it had dawned on me that my summer of hiking Europe was ending. This was to be my last.
There were many more Chamois on this section of trail, the largest herds I’d yet seen.
Though I had still not found a water supply, I finally set up the tent in a pretty spot well above the Picos mist.
Eventually the mist rose up to engulf me.
See the rest of my photos from day 4.
Ultra Tour Trail du Mont Blanc 2009
Laura Jones, a reporter from the U.K., hiked a 10 day tour:
… the lovely thing about the TMB is that the drama of those awesome panoramas of glaciers and mountain peaks are interspersed with walking green valleys filled with Alpine flowers, twisty turney streams, chalky blue mountain lakes – and if you’re lucky marmosettes.
The changing scenery that accompanies the ascents and descents kept me hooked.
There were whole days where we didn’t see another soul as we walked ridges running alongside racks of glaciers.
Other days we passed through hamlets, villages and towns and then really appreciated being back in civilisation:
Champex, Courmayer and La Fouly were particularly lovely. …read more – Tour de Mont Blanc
That article links to the most extreme version of the TMB:
… the biggest trail ultra in the world. With 2300 competitors, 166kms of Alpine trails, 9,400 metres ascent and 3 countries to pass through …
Check out TMB information page if you might be interested in hiking it yourself one day.
hiking Picos de Europa, Spain – day 3
Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Kraig Adams video
Trip Report – Picos de Europa Circuit – by site editor Rick McCharles
This was the most photogenic day. Amazing.
I started by climbing up from Bulnes La Villa through high pasture land towards the central summits.
I was looking forward to the iconic peak of the Picos, Naranjo de Bulnes.
It’s a world class climbing destination, obviously. But I was more surprised by the normally shy Chamois that hang about the Vega d’Urriellu refugio (1953m) as if they are domesticated.
A cable assisted scramble takes you up and over Torre de los Horcados Rojos.
At the top, this weird silver igloo draws your eye. What the heck is it?
That’s Cabaña Veronica (2325m), once an American aircraft carrier cannon mount. Three hikers can sleep in it.
The most difficult part of the entire Circuit for me was the section from Veronica to Refugio Collado Jermoso. Here’s the high, bleak terrain. There are cairns at the start. But soon you’ll be guessing wildly, route finding and scrambling for a couple of hours. Convinced that you are hopelessly off route.
A GPS is essential. …
Somehow I made it. As did a dozen other hikers that day. Many, I noted, arrived late to the refugio.
This was my favourite sunset of the entire summer.
I set up the tent in a marvelous spot, very high with grand vistas in every direction.
Curious Chamois came by to check out my tent.
Hiking doesn’t get any better than this. .
See the rest of my photos from day 3.
moleskin – no bloody good
Fedak linked to an interesting post on the Fixing Your Feet (FYF) blog:
… I talk about moleskin because it has been around for so long. For years it was the standard hot spot and blister patching tool. In the next edition of FYF, I will make reference to moleskin as a product, which has seen better days.
Here are three reasons why:
Moleskin doesn’t stick
Moleskin doesn’t conform to the curves of the foot
Moleskin is too thick
read more – Moleskin Galore
No mention of my preferred foot repair product, Duct Tape.
That blogger likes (expensive) Drymax socks, by the way.
2009 Banff Mountain Photography Competition
The award winning photos for this year have been posted.
hiking Picos de Europa, Spain – day 2
Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Kraig Adams video
Trip Report – Picos de Europa Circuit – by site editor Rick McCharles
The morning dawned clear. Quickly I climbed up above the valley cloud.
I met one of the alpine hut guards … with his free running dogs.
Here’s the large sign posted at his refugio, Marques de Villaviciosa:
National Park regulations are somewhat flexible in Spain. And they vary wildly from place to place.
The main “story” of this Circuit are the climbs into and out of the huge Canal de Trea, one of the most spectacular canyons in the world.
There are many slippery and unstable sections before you reach, with relief, the Garganta del Cares gorge at the bottom.
…A remarkable engineering feat, the 3m-wide path running the length of the gorge was gouged out of its sheer walls in 1946 …
This relatively flat day hike is the best and most popular in the Park.
I “cheated” and took the Bulnes Funicular (an underground train) part way up the other side of the gorge, avoiding 4.5km distance and about 400m ascending.
My goal for the next day came into view.
A long but fantastic hiking day in perfect weather.
See the rest of my photos from day 2.
moving besthike to Google Sites?
I’m still looking for a good way to move our list of the best hikes in the world to a wiki.
None of the wiki software I’ve looked at appeals.
The best of the bad bunch is Google Sites (video) … At least I know that Google will continue to improve this product into the future.
What stops me?
It would be hundreds of hours work to move the old static pages one-by-one into my personally created Google Sites template pages.
There are no “templates” out there for Google Sites, only “themes”. And I cannot find any IMPORT functions on Google Sites.
Advice?
Hank, you’re our Moses …
This is the second essay of a two-part series about escaping a flash flood while hiking through Buckskin Gulch … Start with the first essay to read the whole story.
PARIA CANYON-VERMILLION CLIFFS WILDERNESS, Utah …
In part 1, Hank Leukart and party were forced to tent up high when caught by a flash flood in the longest slot canyon in the world.
What to do next … ??
… Finally, uncertainly and silence makes the decision for us, as the sun rises and begins to bake us. We reluctantly climb out of the canyon and begin making our way across the trail-less Utah backcountry, in 91-degree heat. We don’t know exactly where we’re going, which, for me, I admit, is my favorite kind of adventure. I use the topographical maps in my GPS device to find our way around The Dive, a stretch of severe, orange and red sandstone cliffs, blocking our route to the closest trailhead. Everyone in the group complains about the sizzling weather, but as I trudge along, I’m find myself enjoying the adventure and extraordinary views of the Utah desert.
“Hank, you’re our Moses,” Suzanne remarks as she watches me lead the caravan across the scorching sand.
I also pray that I’m not like Moses, because, after all, in Exodus, Moses dies before reaching Israel. I hope to stay alive all the way to the White House Trailhead. …
click through to read the END of this tale – Without Baggage – flat stanley survives the utah desert and learns navajo
besthike.com 